The present invention relates to a washing apparatus for washing tableware, foods and the like by a water injection flow and, more particularly, to a washing apparatus permitting an easy washing operation during cooking or after meals.
FIG. 18 is a longitudinal cross sectional view showing a tableware washing apparatus disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-34041.
In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a washing apparatus main body, numeral 2 denotes a water supply valve disposed above the main body 1, numeral 3 denotes an inner vessel disposed in the main body 1, numeral 4 denotes a nozzle bearing fixed on the bottom surface of the inner vessel 3, numeral 5 denotes a water injection nozzle rotatably supported by the nozzle bearing 4, numeral 6 denotes a tower nozzle fixed at the center of the water injection nozzle 5, numeral 7 denotes a lower basket disposed just above the water injection nozzle 5 and supported by the side wall of the inner vessel 3 to accommodate tableware 8, and numeral 9 denotes an upper basket disposed above the tower nozzle 6 and supported by the side wall of the inner vessel 3 to accommodate the tableware 8.
Reference numeral 10 denotes a recessed portion formed to a portion of the bottom surface of the inner vessel 3 and provided with a waste food filter 11, numeral 12 denotes a pump having a suction port connected to the recessed portion 10 through a suction pipe 13 and a discharge port connected to the bearing 4 through a discharge pipe 14, and numeral 15 denotes a drain pipe connected to the bottom of the recessed portion 10 and piped to the outside of the washing apparatus main body 1.
In the conventional tableware washing apparatus arranged as described above, the tableware 8 are accommodated in the lower basket 7 and the upper basket 9 and set in the inner vessel 3. Thereafter, tap water supplied to the inner vessel 3 by opening the water feed valve 2 is mixed with detergent and the pump 12 is driven. The washing water sucked by the pump 12 is discharged through the discharge pipe 14 and jetted upward from the water injection nozzle 5 and washes the tableware 8 in the lower basket 7 while being rotated by the reaction of the injection action. In the same way, the tower nozzle 6 also rotates while jetting washing water and washes the tableware 8 in the upper basket 9.
The washing water by which the tableware 8 are washed as described above falls in the inner vessel 3 and flows into the recessed portion 10. Then, the washing water is cleaned by the waste food filter 11, sucked into the pump 12 and supplied again to the water injection nozzle 5 and the tower nozzle 6 from the discharge pipe 14 so that the washing water is repeatedly recycled to conduct the washing operation. When washing by the detergent is finished, the dirty water is drained through the drain pipe 15.
Thereafter, the fresh water is supplied again from the water feed valve 2 and injected from the water injection nozzle 5 and the tower nozzle 6 to rinse the tableware 8 in the same manner as the washing operation. When the rinse operation is finished, the water is drained again. Finally, the tableware 8 are dried by air supplied from a blower (not shown).
Since the conventional tableware washing apparatus as described above washes the tableware 8 accommodated in the baskets 7 and 9 by jetting washing water discharged from the pump 12, the washing apparatus has the following problems:
(1) Washing operation is troublesome.
a. The tableware 8 must be carefully set one by one in the baskets 7 and 9 in order to ensure that the tableware 8 can be easily washed; and
b. Since the tableware 8 are washed by water stored in the inner vessel 3, when the tableware 8 is very dirty or heavily soiled, the washing water is made increasingly dirty and washing cannot help being imperfect, and thus very dirty portions must be prewashed and removed before the tableware 8 is washed by the tableware washing apparatus to cope with this problem.
(2) Washing cannot be effected with a strong water flow:
a. Since the tableware 8 are simply placed in the baskets 7 and 9, when the washing water is strongly injected, the tableware 8 are shaken and collide against each other in the baskets 7 and 9 and there is a possibility that the tableware 8 are broken. That is, it is contemplated that the washing water used in the conventional tableware washing apparatus suitably has a water injection pressure of about 0.5 kg/cm2 and a pressure less than 1 kg/cm2 is used at the maximum. Therefore, since the washing cannot be effected with a strong water flow, specially dedicated strong detergent is indispensable to promote washing. Further, there is a problem that a water flow cannot be adjusted.
(3) Washing operation is time-consuming.
Not only the setting of the tableware 8 itself is troublesome and time-consuming as described above in the item 1 but also washing water must be heated by a heater to improve the washing effect. Thus, the heating time, washing time, washing water purging time and rinsing time are needed, which results in a problem that many processes are necessary.
(4) Washing cannot be effected with fresh water. When washing is effected while dirty or polluted washing water is replaced with fresh water, the temperature of the washing water is lowered as well as the concentration of detergent is inevitable reduced.
(5) Only the batch washing (washing is effected only when some amount of tableware are collected.) is possible:
a. Since an amount of washing water and a washing period of time are fixedly determined regardless of the number of the tableware 8, when the smaller number of the tableware 8 are to be washed, the efficiency of the use of the tableware washing apparatus is low.
b. When batch washing is effected, dirt or soil on the tableware is dried or solidified while the tableware are stored, and thus it is difficult to remove the dirt.
(6) A function for sensing tableware is not provided.
Since the washing apparatus can be operated regardless of the presence or absence of the tableware 8 in the baskets 7 and 9, there is a possibility that the washing apparatus is operated without load.
(7) Object to be washed is limited.
Since detergent is mixed into a high-temperature water for washing, vegetables and tableware made such as of Japanese lacquer or silver cannot be washed.